What Does the Yellow Arrow Mean?

8:19 am

Fri December 27, 2013

New Kind of Traffic Signal Give Drivers More Discretion with Left Turns

The Perimeter Center area is one of the first locations in Metro Atlanta to use the new left-turn signal configuration, which has been used successfully in several other states.

Credit Perimeter Community Improvement Districts

A new kind of traffic light is being installed in the Perimeter Mall area that is designed to help the flow of traffic by giving drivers more discretion in turning left.

They are yellow arrow lights. Donna Mahaffey of the Perimeter Community Improvement District says you should treat the light as you would a yield sign before you turn left. "The yellow flashing arrow will tell them that there's the opportunity to make that judgment, because the oncoming traffic allows it at that moment," explains Mahaffey. "But they will ultimately have to be the ones that have to make that decision."

So you can turn left under the yellow flashing arrow, but you are not required to.

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Four of the yellow flashing arrow lights are being installed in Perimeter Mall area, and they are scheduled to start operating on January 6th. The lights, funded through a state transportation grant, will be at the following intersections on Perimeter Center Parkway: the Marriott Hotel, the Dunwoody MARTA station, the first Perimeter Mall entrance north of the MARTA station and the west entrance to 211 Perimeter Center Parkway.

Mahaffey says, if the lights improve traffic flow, more of them could be installed in the area.

How It Works

This video produced by the Michigan Department of Transportation explains how the flashing yellow left-turn light works.

The Perimeter Transportation Operations Program (PTOP) is installing these new left-turn lights at the following intersections on Perimeter Center Parkway: